Democratic Republic of the Congo

Today, AVSI is active in five eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with programs in education, protection, nutrition, and energy. These efforts aim to strengthen resilience and promote self-reliance among refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities

AVSI has been present in the ex-Zaire since 1970, beginning with Italian volunteers who supported reconstruction efforts following a long period of conflict and instability.

In the eastern DRC, the situation is particularly dire due to ongoing armed conflicts and the exploitation of natural resources. This region is rich in minerals like coltan, gold, and diamonds, which attract various armed groups vying for control and profits, often at the expense of local communities. The presence of these armed factions has fueled violence and lawlessness, leading to widespread human rights abuses, mass displacement, and severe insecurity. International and national peacekeeping forces are active in the area, yet the cycle of violence and exploitation continues, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict.

Meanwhile, the Kasai province, in the heart of the country, bordering Angola to the South, faces a severe humanitarian crisis characterized by high rates of malnutrition and displacement. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an estimated 25.4 million people  are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including 1.6 million in Kasai Central.

Malnutrition rates, particularly among children under five, have reached alarming levels due to the lack of consistent food supply and the destruction of agricultural activities. Many children suffer from acute malnutrition, a condition that poses a severe risk to their development and survival. According to UNICEF, 76 children per 1,000 die in the DRC as of 2024. The healthcare infrastructure, already fragile before the violence, has struggled to cope with the increased demand. Medical facilities have been damaged or abandoned, and there is a shortage of trained healthcare personnel and essential medicines.

This combination of food insecurity and inadequate healthcare has created a public health crisis in the region. Child mortality rates have risen as treatable diseases, compounded by malnutrition, go untreated. The lack of clean water and sanitation facilities has further exacerbated health challenges, leading to outbreaks of diseases like cholera and diarrhea, which are particularly deadly for malnourished children.

Additionally, internal conflicts and political tensions have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are forced into overcrowded camps or precarious living conditions without adequate resources. The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country is more than 6.3 million, including 677,000 newly displaced people since the start of 2023. (data from ipcinfo.org)

Addressing the crisis in the country requires urgent intervention to support vulnerable populations and establish longer-term strategies for stability and recovery.

Economy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is marked by high unemployment, pervasive poverty, and a fragile Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Unemployment rates in the DRC are high, particularly among the youth, who struggle to find stable and well-paying jobs. This situation is compounded by a largely informal economy where a significant portion of the workforce engages in subsistence agriculture, informal trade, and small-scale mining. The lack of formal employment opportunities is a major contributor to the nation's economic instability and a factor that drives many, especially the youth, to seek livelihoods in precarious or even dangerous sectors like artisanal mining.

The DRC's GDP, while growing in recent years due to increased mineral exports, remains vulnerable to global market fluctuations, corruption, and the instability that affects key economic areas. Infrastructure remains underdeveloped, and investment in sectors outside of mining is limited, further hindering economic diversification. This lack of diversification makes the country highly dependent on a few key commodities, exposing it to economic shocks.

The effects of climate change are intensifying the challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly through increased frequency and severity of natural disasters like heavy rains unleashed devastating floods in January 2024 in several parts of the country, leading to loss of life, destruction of homes, and displacement of communities already vulnerable due to ongoing conflicts. Infrastructure, including roads and health facilities, has been severely damaged, complicating the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services. This disaster highlights the urgent need for climate resilience strategies, as communities struggle to rebuild and adapt to an environment increasingly marked by extreme weather events.

In response to the severe humanitarian crisis in the country, AVSI has been actively addressing malnutrition and food insecurity through targeted nutrition interventions. With extensive experience in the fight against malnutrition, AVSI has implemented comprehensive strategies to improve nutrition outcomes for affected populations.

In the provinces of Ituri and Tanganyika, AVSI’s nutrition project has provided health education, nutrition support, and therapeutic food to tens of thousands of individuals, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women since 2017.

AVSI’s approach includes screening for malnutrition in health centers, treating Moderate Acute Malnutrition, and distributing vital nutritional inputs like plumpy sup, super cereal, and oil.

The organization also prioritizes community awareness on good nutritional practices and prevention, offering training on infant and young child feeding in emergencies.

Through its coordination with humanitarian actors, including its role as a member of the Nutrition Cluster and collaboration with the National Nutrition Program (PRONANUT), AVSI ensures that its interventions align with broader humanitarian efforts in the region. These comprehensive actions are designed not only to provide immediate relief but also to lay the groundwork for long-term nutritional resilience, helping to stabilize the health and well-being of displaced populations and communities facing the ongoing crisis.

AVSI is implementing the Graduation Approach in Kasai as part of its response to the critical needs arising from high malnutrition and poverty rates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Each beneficiary is guided out of a state of dependency and vulnerability to poverty, towards achieving self-sufficiency. It's akin to helping them "graduate": the participants' transition out of the project marks the start of a new chapter for them. For this reason, the conclusion of projects based on the Graduation Approach is a moment to celebrate thousands of families, at different times, have reached independence and no longer need the project's "protection."

The Graduation Approach does not offer one-size-fits-all solutions; instead, it provides tailored responses through a process of research and listening that involves staff and partners. AVSI achieves its goals because it works through a network: with donors, national ministries, organizations, research institutes, local entities, and institutions. Networking and building connections are a key factor in the success of this model, which has systematically encouraged people to come together around very practical needs (such as savings), fostering a more active participation in the community.

In Kasai, AVSI aims to support 10,000 households through a series of crosscutting interventions designed to address the specific challenges faced by ultra-poor households and the multifaceted aspects of poverty. A central component of this approach is personalized coaching, fostering individual capacity building through one-on-one mentorship, which empowers beneficiaries along their journey to self-sufficiency.

AVSI is actively addressing the impacts of climate change in the Democratic Republic of Congo through initiatives that foster sustainable energy access and environmental resilience. By promoting clean cooking solutions in vulnerable regions such as Ituri, North and South Kivu, and Tanganyika, AVSI is reducing reliance on traditional fuels, which are often sourced from deforested areas, contributing to environmental degradation.

In partnership with the DRC’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, AVSI is also enhancing access to renewable energy sources in South Kivu. This project has established a mini-grid system, including solar photovoltaic panels and a hydro unit, now supplying clean energy to 422 households and benefiting nearly 1,900 people. Through this initiative, AVSI is promoting local development and trained 40 local business owners on the productive use of energy to foster sustainable business practices. This integrated approach not only provides immediate relief from energy poverty but also strengthens community resilience against ongoing climate shocks, building a foundation for long-term environmental and socio-economic sustainability.

Education is at the heart of AVSI's mission, AVSI believes it is the key to sustainable development and resilience, particularly in crisis contexts. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, AVSI has implemented a comprehensive education strategy aimed at facilitating access to primary and secondary education for the most vulnerable children, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and children affected by conflict. AVSI provides recovery courses to support the integration of these children into formal education, assists with school fee payments, and supplies educational materials.

AVSI also works on the ground to improve school infrastructure by setting up temporary learning spaces and constructing semi-durable or durable schools, often supported through cash transfer programs. To enhance the quality of education, AVSI trains teachers, school directors, and community members involved in education, while also establishing committees to address absenteeism, promote peace, and ensure proper hygiene. In parallel, AVSI implements a strong protection system within schools, providing psychosocial support for teachers and students, organizing recreational activities, and establishing monitoring systems to safeguard children's well-being. Through these multifaceted efforts, AVSI not only helps vulnerable children access education but also ensures that the educational environment supports their emotional and social development, laying the foundation for a better future.

The Distance Support Program has been operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2002, after AVSI's first response to the emergency caused by the Nyiragongo volcanic eruption.

The aim of the Distance Support Program in DRC is to give concrete help and hope to children and families plunged into poverty due to the socio-political and cultural context, which has deteriorated over the last ten years as a result of the resurgent security situation.

Since 2013, the intervention has focused on North Kivu, on the suburbs of Goma city (Ndosho, Katoyi and Ngangi), the most exposed/affected by poverty, instability and insecurity. The project currently supports around 1,000 children and their families, mainly victims of the rural exodus; displaced persons who have had to leave their homes due to conflicts with armed gangs.

Through the work of social workers, each beneficiary is provided with psychosocial, educational, medical and economic support, involving the family, school, local, religious and community authorities, to facilitate access to services and/or meet basic needs. All children covered by the program are provided with school fees, materials needed to attend school and close cooperation with their teachers. The children, their families and the community are involved in awareness-raising activities, recreational activities, discussion groups and talks at home and in the office, so that they can live in a safe and protective environment.

The implementation of activities is based on a strategy of empowerment and participation of families, which contributes to make them protagonists of their own development through the inclusion in savings and credit groups to start or strengthen their business activities.

Finally, the Distance Support Program collaborates with other projects implemented by AVSI in DRC to strengthen its action and impact on the community. Prominent examples are synergies with projects that allow to include other family members of supported children or young people in vocational training courses or the inclusion of families in awareness-raising meetings on climate change, new improved cooking systems to then promote their use in the household itself and in some cases to be their promoters and sellers.

AVSI implements child protection monitoring to track and address issues such as abuse and exploitation, while establishing sustainable and semi-durable child-friendly spaces where children can engage in recreational and healing activities. AVSI provides psychosocial support to vulnerable children and adolescents and facilitates the identification, documentation, tracing, and reunification of separated children. AVSI also strengthens the local protection system through capacity-building for staff on mental health and psychosocial support, case management, and emergency cash transfers.

In addition to its child protection efforts, AVSI promotes peace and stability within communities by facilitating dialogue, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding activities. The organization works with community leaders, women’s groups, and youth, training them on child protection, gender-based violence, and peacebuilding techniques. For survivors of gender-based violence, AVSI provides comprehensive support, including psychosocial care, legal follow-up, and emergency financial assistance, while also raising awareness on GBV issues through community sensitization campaigns.

By integrating various sectors — such as education, nutrition, protection, and peacebuilding — into a cohesive strategy, AVSI not only provides immediate relief but also strengthens the long-term resilience and recovery of vulnerable communities.

This approach recognizes the interconnectedness of challenges faced by these populations, allowing AVSI to build robust, adaptable systems that address both immediate needs and the root causes of vulnerability. Collaboration with local actors, policy coherence, data sharing, capacity building, and effective resource mobilization are essential components of AVSI’s strategy, ensuring that its interventions are comprehensive and sustainable.

In an uncertain and complex context such as DRC, AVSI firmly believes that this holistic approach is crucial for creating lasting solutions and fostering long-term development in the most fragile contexts.